Borussia Dortmund came back from the dead to book their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League with a quite unbelievable victory over Malaga at Signal Iduna Park.

The German side's run in the competition appeared to be as good as over after Eliseu's strike in the 82nd minute made it 2-1 to Malaga and left the hosts needing two goals to progress after last week's first leg ended goalless.

Marco Reus breathed life into Jurgen Klopp's side with a close-range finish in the first minute of stoppage time but there was even greater drama to come as Dortmund pressed on in search of a third goal, which duly arrived with seconds remaining as Felipe Santana scrambled home.

Back from the brink: Borussia Dortmund completed a stunning comeback with two goals in injury time

Jubilation: Dortmund players celebrate their remarkable win

Bundle: The German side looked dead and buried when Eliseu put Malaga 2-1 ahead with eight minutes left

Joaquin's 25th-minute opener for
Manuel Pellegrini's visitors was cancelled out by Robert Lewandowski's
superbly crafted goal five minutes before the break, but that was mere
prelude to the drama – and acrimony – that was to come after the break.

Both Eliseu's strike for Malaga and
Santana's third for Dortmund should both have been ruled out for
offside, as the officiating team led by Scotland's Craig Thomson ensured
this memorable contest would also be tainted by controversy.

Dortmund's players and fans will
probably not lose too much sleep over the shortcomings of the officials,
with the frenzied delight of the home contingent starkly contrasted by
Malaga's crestfallen players, who as the final whistle blew clearly were
struggling to comprehend how they had been turned over.

A nervy opening was perhaps
understandable with so much riding on the result, and it took until the
16th minute for the first effort on goal to arrive as Lewandowski sent a
chipped effort sailing over the bar.

Ahead: Joaquin gave Malaga the lead after 25 minutes in Germany

After failing to produce a shot on
target in the first quarter of the match, Malaga went ahead courtesy of
their first meaningful attack.

Julio Baptista started the move with a
pass into Joaquin, who exchanged passes with Isco before selling his
marker a dummy and sending a low finish into the left corner.

Reus saw a shot charged down in the
37th minute as Dortmund searched for a way back, but the home fans did
not have much longer to wait for the breakthrough as the hosts conjured a
goal of real class five minutes before the break.

Mario Gotze's incisive forward pass
was backheeled beyond the Malaga backline by Reus into the path of
Lewandowski, who expertly dinked the ball over the sprawling Willy
Caballero before tucking the ball home under pressure from Jesus Gamez.

The second half began with a bang with both sides going close to adding to the scoring inside three minutes.

First Lewandowski was afforded time to
take aim from the edge of the area but Caballero got down to save,
while two minutes later Roman Weidenfeller produced a fine reflex stop
to deflect away Joaquin's downward header.

Reliable: Robert Lewandowski brought Dortmund level in the 40th minute

Leading from the front: Lewandowski celebrates his goal at Signal Iduna Park

The hosts were given a let-off when
Marcel Schmelzer appeared to raise his hands to the face of Gamez amid a
tussle by the touchline, but rather inexplicably it was the Malaga man
who went into the referee's book.

The home fans were on their feet in
the 75th minute ready to acclaim a goal as the unmarked Reus looked to
turn home a low centre from six yards but Caballero's trailing leg was
in the right place as the Malaga number one made a wonderful save.

Caballero was again the hero for the
visitors in the 79th minute as Gotze was played clean through but the
goalkeeper flicked out a leg to deflect the ball inches wide of the
post.

Caballero's heroics looked set to be
the cornerstone of a famous win when three minute later Malaga went 2-1
up as Baptista's goalbound shot was turned home by Eliseu from almost on
the goalline, despite the substitute having strayed offside.

All over Eliseu's goal with eight minutes remaining looked to have sealed Malaga's place in the semis

The match appeared to be destined to
end in Malaga's favour as added time arrived, but all that changed when
Dortmund were awarded a free-kick 40 yards from goal.

Caballero was helpless to deny
Dortmund yet again as woeful defending from the set-piece saw the ball
break to Reus to fire in from close range.

The hosts still needed a goal to progress to the last four, and incredibly it arrived in the third minute of added time.

The officials failed to spot three
Dortmund players in offside positions when the ball was launched into
the area, but when the ball broke to Santana – also in an offside
position on the goal-line – he had no hesitation in blasting home to
trigger scenes of disbelieving delight at Signal Iduna Park.

Turnaround: Santana bundled home a winner from close range in injury time for Dortmund

Dubious: Santana was arguably offside when he scored from less than one yard

Delight: Santana runs off in celebration of his dramatic winner

Pitch invasion: Dortmund head coach Klopp leaps with delight at the final whistle

Joy: Santana is congratulated by Dortmund players and head coach Klopp

PS – Sorry Jurgen, your comeback doesn't beat the 1999 final

Dortmund's stunning comeback was thrilling, but it can't hold a flame to the famous night in Barcelona when Manchester United yanked the Champions League trophy out of Bayern Munich's hands at the death.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side were facing defeat in the face after Mario Basler's sixth-minute free-kick kept the sides apart until the final moments, when Teddy Sheringham swept home in the 91st minute followed two minutes later by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

History boys: Manchester United's triumph over Bayern Munich cannot be beaten for late drama

Instead Malaga, who, for all their opponents' dominance, still caused Dortmund the odd nervy moment, will travel to the Westfalenstadion still in with a shout of the last four.

Malaga had the first chance when Javier Saviola ran onto a clipped pass down the right of the area, got to the byline and cut inside, only to opt to go for the near post rather than the far and dragged his shot wide.

But it did not take long for Dortmund's attacking triumvirate of Robert Lewandowski, Gotze and Marco Reus to start exerting their influence as Dortmund started to open their hosts up almost at will.

Gotze ran clear on to a Lewandowski header as the Malaga backline appealed in vain for offside, but his shot lacked power and Caballero dived to make a one-handed save.

Battle for the ball: Marcel Schmelzer challenges for the ball with Joaqun of Malaga

Over he goes: Schmelzer challenges for the ball with Joaquin

The Germany international then got in one-on-one down the right of the area, but Caballero was again equal to his side-foot shot.

Reus then brought another save out of the keeper after neat link-up play and a low shot from the edge of the area.

The young trio were causing Malaga all sorts of problems, with only the killer finish lacking.

The hosts showed they could still be a threat when Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller had to be quick off his line to get to the ball ahead of Saviola.

Their defence, though, continued to live dangerously and Weligton was booked for pulling back Lewandowski right on the edge of the area, Reus curling the resulting free-kick wide.

But Malaga ended the half in the ascendancy.

Weidenfeller, under no pressure, spilled a Joaquin cross and Felipe Santana go to scramble the ball away to spare his team-mate's blushes.

But the keeper redeemed himself with a fine save to keep out a Weligton header from a Joaquin corner.

Lewandowski fluffed another golden Dortmund chance minutes after the break, skewing his shot horribly wide when Gotze's cut-back found him in plenty of space in front of goal.

Gotze then fired wide of the far post after racing on to a measured pass down the right as another opportunity came and went for the Germans.

At the other end, Isco drilled effort was parried well by Weidenfeller, but it was Dortmund who left the pitch at full-time with a feeling of what might have been.